The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-05-14

fortunate monarch, who declared It to
be the precursor of his death"
Hawking was one Of the favorite of
the ancient royal diversions, and ad-
mitted of participation by the fair sex,
by whom 1t was greatly enjoyed. 1t
displayed their skill and gracefulness
in the saddle to the greatest advan-
tage, although serious drawback was
the risk incurred, in following the
hounds, of broken limbs, and "a multi
tude of bruises and disasters" It has
at various times at later periods been
attempted to revive this sport, but its
dangers have probably interfcred with
its permanency as pastime for ladies.
The Duke and Duchess of st. Albans
introduced falconry at the fetes Mt Holly
lodge, Highgate, some fifty years ago,
with great eclat, but it was ultimately
a failure. II
Falconry in England can not be
traced with certainty until the reign of
King Ethelbert, the Saxon monarch, in
$50. The Grand Segnior ut one time
kept six thousand falconers in his
service. Britain and Thrace are the
only countries in which we have any
evidence that this diversion was an
cicntly carried on, and of the latter Pliny
obscurely alludes to it as being confined
to one particular district. Gibbon OBJ
serves that hawking was scarcely known
to the Romans in the days of Vesparian.
From curious but we'll authenticated
passages of history it appears that the
invasion of England by the Danes was
caused by the assassination of Lodbrog,
the father of Hinguar and Hnbba, who
embarked with his hawks and hounds,
and, being driven on the coast of Nor
folk, grew so much in favor with the
King of the East Angles for his skill in
hawking that Bcnre, the King falconer,
murdered. him through jealousy, and
to avenge his death was the first motive
of the landing of the Danes in hostile
array.
That ladies were enamored of the
sport may be gathered from an ancient
sculpture in the church of Milton Alb
bas in Dorsetshire, where the consort
of King Athelstan appears with falcon
in her hand, tearing q bird. Harold,
afterward King of England, is repre-
sented in a portrait going on an i'm
portant embassy with u hawk on his
hand and dog under his arm.
According to Froissart, King Edward
ILL., had with him in his army thirty
mounted followers carrying birds, be-
sides sixty couples of strong dogs and
as many greyhounds, with which he
hunted every day while on the march
or in camp" During his reign it was
made q felony to steal a hawk, and to
take its egg by a. person even in his
own grounds was punishable by i'm
prisonment for a year and day, or a
fine, at the Kings pleasure. In the
reign of Queen Elizabeth the imprison-
ment was reduced to three months, but
the offender was obliged to find security
for good behavior for seven years or lie
in prison until he did.
Such was the enviable state OF the
loudly-extolled, far-famed "good old
times of England, when people by the
most unjust and arbitrary laws were
subject to capital punishment, fines,
and incarcerations for destroying the
most noxious of the feathered tribe.
Henry Nv. granted to Sir John Stanley
the Isle of Man, to be held by homage
and service of two falcons, payable on
each coronation day, and Philip dc
Hastang held the manor of Camberton,
in Cambridgeshire. by the service o.
keeping the Kings falcons.
The species known as the Peregrine
falcon, an inhabitant of most parts o
Europe. Asia, and South America, was
in the palmy days of hawking, one OF
the fayorite falcons chosen for the sport
Its strength and swiftness are very
great, enabling it to strike down it:
prey with great ease. Indeed, it ha:
been known to disable five partridges
in succession.
In some parts of the United States 9
similar species of hawk, called the duck
hawk, is found, deriving its appellatior
from its successful pursuit of ducks
There is popularity in the method OF
attack which this bird employs wher
pursuing small game. Instead O
merely dashing at its prey and graspins
it with its claws, the Peregrine falcor
strikes its victim with its breast, ant
actually stuns it with the violence O.
the blow before seizing it with its claws
The boldness and ferocity of this birt
are so great that it was generally en-
ployed to take the formidable heron
After the heron had been reused from
its meditations near some marsh q
river. the falcon, which had previousl,
been held hooded on its masters hand
was loosed from its bonds and cast of
A contest then generally took plac'
between the two, each trying to ascen'
above the other for more advantage
ous attack. In this contest the falcol
was always victorious, and when it hat
attained sufficient height it swoope'
down upon the luckless prey. Whel
the falcon had closed with its adversar,
they both came to the ground together
and the sportsman's business was t.
reach the place of conflict as soon a
possible and assist the falcon to van
quish its prey. Sometimes, however
the wary heron contrived to receive til
descending enemy upon tho point O
its sharp, bayonet-like beak and trans
fixed it by its own impetus. The bir
Il. H.